Revenge
by VIVIANVAMPYRIC
Summary: DUKE DEVLIN X OC. AU. Duke Devlin is a famous actor, and like most actors the media doesn't exactly look kindly upon him. Behind the biggest tabloid is Rayne Takeuchi, a woman who has shared an interesting past with the young playboy...
1. the angry visit

_Actor and local playboy Duke Devlin has been spotted with multiple women this weekend at Domino City. Currently dating model Serenity Wheeler, he was seen with actress Louise Gurnaschelli late Friday evening and country crooner Elaine Richardson early Sunday morning over breakfast. One can only imagine how poor Serenity is feeling, but she probably doesn't even have the time to deal with Devlin seeing how she's dedicated her life to social work and the welfare of underprivileged children. Practically a saint, the 20 year old has already made a huge difference in the lives of children all around the world from the US to Japan, but what will she do about her seemingly unfaithful boyfriend? Only time will tell. Personally, I hope that she'll dump his pathetic ass. But, what can I say? He is a sexy man. We'll see where this takes us._

Duke slammed the tabloid on the table, obviously upset. He scowled at the cowering man in front of him, his lips turned downwards. Had there not been a table between them, the stout man in front of the glowering actor would've been dead - tackled to the ground and beaten up.

"What is this? Tell me what this is." The actor demanded, his finger stabbing down onto the photos that featured him in the glossy magazine. They were indeed of him and three different women, each one of them stunning in their own way. Serenity looked beautiful, with a smile that lit up her whole face and long brown hair that framed it like a perfect photo frozen in time. Louise, on the other hand, had curly white blonde hair that gave her an angelic appearance. Her eyes were blue like the summer sky, with a curvy body to match. Elaine had wavy red hair that ended at her shoulders. Freckles dusted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose but her most memorable features were her vibrant green eyes. They were all beautiful women in their own respects, something that would not be lost upon the readers of the gossip magazine.

"I-I-I'd assume they were photos of you and Serenity, Louise and Elaine, s-s-sir." The poor man stuttered in fright. Duke had always been known for having a hot temper, having many of his weak hearted employees quit after a short period of time, and run screaming in the opposite direction. He paced back and forth on his wooden deck, his movements reminiscent of a big cat surveying prey. The sun beat down on them relentlessly. Joe glistened with sweat, his nerves, and the heat getting to him.

"Damn it, Joe. You're my PR rep; you're supposed to prevent these things from happening." A grunt of frustration was emitted from his lips as he sat down in his wicker chair, taking a sip of iced drink that sat in front of him. The caffeine of the black coffee always helped him calm down, even in situations like this.

"T-that's right. It won't happen again, Mr. Devlin, sir. I'll talk to the author of this trash. I'll get this sorted out." Joe said, standing up and scrambling to get his things together. Duke stared at him, disgusted behind dark sunglasses.

"Forget it. I'll do it myself. Apparently I can't trust anyone but myself to do anything anymore. If you'll excuse me," Duke started, pausing to look over his sunglasses at the portly man in front of him. He practically ran off, thankful that he still had his job (and his life). The actor rolled his eyes, and stalked back into his mansion to get ready for his daily swim.

* * *

A petite woman with black hair sat up straight behind her old but sturdy mahogany desk. "Ashleigh, I need the copy of the pictures of Serenity with the kids, please." Her nails tapped against the surface of the wood, her grey eyes fixed on the blonde figure sitting at her own desk. "Hurry with that please." The pretty intern scurried from her desk over to the brunette's, a piece of paper clutched in her small hand.

"Here, Rayne." Ashleigh said, adjusting her large black rimmed glasses that framed her face, and handing over the photograph. She had a small face so the glasses looked particularly large on her. It was a teenage trend; Rayne reminded herself, something that she couldn't relate to, not anymore. She was only 25, but to her, she felt as if she were 100. It seemed as if time was quickly passing her by, and therefore grew obsessed with her outer appearance. This vicious cycle was one that she was aware of, but seemed to be unable to shake.

"Thanks, love," Rayne said, adjusting her square reading glasses and rolling herself over to the scanner. She slipped the photo into the scanner and waited patiently for it to load up as a particularly handsome young man came stomping up to her desk. She took one quick glance at him and crossed her long legs.

"Mr. Devlin, what a surprise." Her musical voice was flat as she glanced down at her computer screen and started to type.

"Don't give me that shit. What the fuck do you think this is?" Duke asked, throwing the glossy magazine on the surface of her desk. Rayne took a glance at it and then looked back at her computer screen, her face expressionless.

"Issue 8, volume 4." If given the chance, Duke would've attacked the woman, pulling her hair out as he snarled angry obscenities at her. He knew better. He was a _professional_.

"Take it back right now, and apologize to Serenity and I. Withdraw everything you said about Louise and Elaine, and no one will get hurt." He threatened, his green eyes glinting at her. A sigh escaped her full lips as she set her glasses down on her table, crossing her arms over her chest, defensively.

"Listen, Devlin," Rayne started, standing up with her palms pressed down onto the surface of her desk. "I get death threats every day, angry phone calls and disgustingly obscene letters. Threats from you don't mean a thing. To me, you're just another celebrity whose career will just disappear with time." She picked up the phone and stated curtly, "bye-bye, Duke." Almost instantly, two men in black appeared behind Duke, taking him by the arm.

"Let go of me. I'll leave. This won't be the last time I'll see you, Rayne Takeuchi," Duke called over his shoulder as Rayne scoffed, twirling a loose curl around her index finger.

_'And it wasn't the first time I've seen you either.' _She thought sitting back down. A sigh escaped her lips as her memories took her back when she was in high school...


	2. signore cappuccino

It was freshman year, and he was a nerd. He had glasses so large it covered up his face and was shy, never talking to anyone apart from the rare, _is this seat taken?, _or, _what page was the reading on? _She, on the other hand, was well-liked by most and very pretty. They first met in their advanced English class, being placed next to each other in class. Rayne chuckled as she thought about the first day they'd met, the ice broken by something very strange - his glasses.

"Can I see your glasses?" The girl asked, her large grey eyes gazing over at Duke. His face looked uncertain, startled by her abrupt question. After a moment of internal debate, he handed them over to her, accompanied with a soft sigh. _Why would she want those? And why would she talk to me like that all of a sudden? _He wondered, observing her subtly. He'd never seen her before this class because they'd gone to different middle schools, so naturally it was a surprise to him. Rayne suddenly looked up from the glasses and up to Duke's face, a smile lighting up her face. "You should get contacts. Your eyes are fantastic," she had said with enthusiasm. That was what had started it all. They'd become best friends, and eventually started dating. Until... _'Until I cheated on him,_' Rayne thought, resting her chin on her hand, a sigh escaping her lips.

She genuinely liked him, but... _'But nothing. There's no excuse for cheating.' _And she was right. She'd cheated on him because she was attracted to the other boy. Her and Duke had _conveniently _gotten into an awful fight that caused their temporary break-up. She'd met Kaiba during the break up phase but when Duke apologized and asked for her back... she didn't have the guts to tell him that she'd been seeing someone else. So, she dated them both for about a month, before Duke discovered what she was doing. He instantly broke it off, and had been ignoring her ever since. Not that she blamed him of course. If it was her, naturally she'd have done the same thing. Seeing him stirred up old memories, both good and bad. She couldn't decide whether or not she liked that feeling of being drowned in a wave of nostalgia, so she just pushed the feeling away, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and focusing down at the article in front of her.

* * *

A teenage couple sat on a worn out black leather sofa, their attention focused on a TV in front of them. A look of irritation crossed both of their faces as a commercial popped on, interrupting a very intense scene. He cleared his throat, turning his head to look at her.

"This is such an great show," The brunette stated, folding her legs up underneath her body as she turned to gaze at him, the light making her grey eyes sparkle silver. His breath caught in his throat as his green eyes observed her features carefully.

"It definitely is." He stated, his eyes not leaving hers. She looked away, feeling awkward as he watched her. She felt on edge, which was different from when she was usually with him. "Uh… Rae?"

"Mmm?" She willed herself to look over at him, and immediately regretted the decision when she saw him focused upon her.

"This might be really weird, but..." he started. He looked down, his face turning red.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He looked up, and realized that her face was one of concern. He turned redder, and nodded.

"No! Yeah, yeah… of course. I'm fine. I just wanted to know if you wanted to be my girlfriend... If you didn't want to, I was just wondering, it's okay if you don -" Rayne cut him off, a smile crossing her full red lips.

"Of course I want to be your girlfriend!" She exclaimed, hugging him around his neck…

"Rae. Rayne. RAYNE!" A voice shouted, shaking Rayne out of her daydreams.

"Yes! Yes, Ashleigh, yes!" The woman asked, nearly jumping in surprise.

"I've been calling you for a while. Are you okay?" The intern asked, a look of concern crossing her pretty features.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Rayne said, standing up and collecting her purse from underneath her desk. "I'm going to head out early. If you need anything, the cell's on. Leave whenever you want, just don't forget to lock up after yourself, okay?" She asked, shooting a glance at the clock. Ashleigh simply nodded as she turned back to the computer screen. Rayne felt immediately thankful for the girl, knowing that getting such a hardworking intern these days was rare. There was not a doubt in her mind that after Ashleigh had completed her internship, Rayne would immediately offer her a job. She walked out of the building, with her black stilettos clicking against the linoleum tile. She smoothed down the edge of her high waisted black skirt and picked up the daily newspaper, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Hey, there." She nearly jumped as she heard the smooth voice. Whirling around, her silver gaze fell upon Duke, leaning against a telephone pole. Bringing her hand to her heart, she glared angrily at him, for scaring her _and_ for waiting outside of her office for an hour.

"What do _you_ want, you creep?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at him.

"I want to take you out to -"

"No." She cut him off instantly and walked past him.

"Wait, wait, wait!" He insisted, following her as she tried to walk faster.

_'Damn these shoes._' She thought, irritated. _'If they were flats, I'd be able to run from him.'_

"Let me just take you out for dinner sometime." Duke offered as he pulled her arm back and turned her around to face her. Their eyes met, her captivating silver eyes melting in his dark pools of green. "My treat! I just want to talk to you." Rayne's frown grew deeper as she pulled away from him.

"No thank you!" She exclaimed, walking away quickly.

Duke glowered as he stood in the street, rejected by the beautiful woman that walked away from him. He couldn't help but stare at her back, which was quickly disappearing. This was more of a reason to get revenge on her. She first spread lies in the tabloid about him, and then she turned him down. Ooh, Rayne Takeuchi. Just her name made his blood boil. Snapping him out of his angry rage was the vibrating cellphone in his pant pocket. He flipped it open and brought it to his ear.

"Hello?" On the other end was a woman's voice, a voice he knew very well. Serenity.

"Hi, Duke." Serenity said, as Duke's body instantly went on alert. She sounded tired and upset.

"What's wrong?" His voice was soft as he ducked into a quiet coffee shop in order to hear her better.

"I'd rather talk to you in person than talk to you over the phone. Where are you right now?" Duke told her his location and hung up after, feeling immensely worried. He took a seat outside of the cafe, feeling too worried to appreciate the beautiful day. He whipped out his shiny phone, and started to text his friend, Tristan Taylor. Although the two had their differences, and were considered rivals in the acting world, they talked frequently, helping each other through the problems they both faced. After a couple moments, Serenity appeared, without a single brown hair out of place. She sat down, and started to speak...

* * *

"Thank you!" Rayne smiled, grabbing the mug of coffee and making her way outside. The air was so fresh and the sky was so beautiful; blue and lacking a single puffy cloud. The sun was out, and the birds were chirping. With a mug of coffee in her hand, it was like life couldn't get any better! This was exactly what she needed to forget about the debacle at work. She took a seat outside, before she realized that the man sitting in front of her was Duke. His back was turned to her, but the woman across from him was clearly visible. Serenity. Rayne nearly spilled her coffee when she heard the woman start speaking.

"Duke, what do you think this is?" Serenity questioned, sliding the magazine across the table to him. Rayne's silver gaze landed upon the magazine cover that had just been released this month. _Oh, shit, _she mouthed to herself before pulling her cellphone out. She began to text Ashleigh furiously, her fingers flying across the glass screen.

_Ash, Duke and Sere are at Signore Cappuccino right now. It is currently 2:13, and I think they're going to -_

"Break up." Serenity said, as Rayne suddenly tuned back in. "We have to break up."


	3. conversations

Duke choked on his coffee as he stared at the gorgeous woman in front of him. _What? _Someone breaking up with him? That was a first. It was usually the other way around. He usually broke hearts. His heart never got broken. Not that his heart was broken or anything, _of course_. Serenity stood up and cleared her throat, dropping a couple of dollars upon the table top.

"That should be enough to take care of my coffee. See you around." She stated curtly, before walking away from their table.

"Serenity wait, really. I have to... you have to talk to me." He sounded desperate, which surprised Rayne. Her heartstrings tugged at the pitiful tone of his voice.

"I have got to go. I've got a meeting with the Make-a-Wish foundation." And with that, she disappeared. Rayne turned back forward, her eyes shifting from Serenity's back to Duke's hurt green ones. The hurt suddenly disappeared and turned into anger. Rayne's eyes widened, unable to say a word.

"You were listening the whole time." He accused, before stalking away.

* * *

"And that's what happened. Tea, I feel awful." Rayne said, burying her head between her hands as she stared at the liquid in front of her. Condensation slid down the cold glass as the strong smell of lime wafted around them. The two women sat around a circular table inside of a small restaurant that they frequented.

"Rae, you've never felt horrible about anything before." Tea commented, crossing her long legs before taking a sip from her drink. "Especially not your writing. Isn't that the whole reason you went into gossip writing anyways? I specifically remember in high school when you said that you didn't care about pissing anyone off." Tea had been there for Rayne, ever since she moved from the states to Japan. She had been there for the long relationship Duke and Rayne shared, through her cheating, through the countless pints of ice cream, and through the countless amount of tears spilled. Rayne considered the pretty brunette one of her best friends, someone who she could rely on no matter what the circumstances were.

"You should've seen his face. Oh, god. He was devastated when she ended things, though. I couldn't. I can't write anything about it." Rayne said, using the pads of her fingers to massage her temples in a circular motion. "Damn, damn, damn," she cursed quietly under her breath.

"Could it be that you still have feelings for him?" Tea asked, immediately going into her interview mode. She worked as a newscaster for a successful news station, and frequently interviewed people for her job. Rayne shifted awkwardly under her gaze, disliking the feeling of being thrust into the hot seat.

"Of course not." The words hung between them as the silence turned awkward. "You know everything he's done. You're subscribed to my blog and you get my magazines delivered to your house every freaking week. He's an asshole and a whore that objectifies women. I just hate the thought of him actually having a heart now. On second thought, I'm going to publish that. I mean, finally that girl has gotten off her ass to break up with him. The public deserves to know. Good for her!" Rayne insisted, leaning back in her chair. Tea raised her eyebrow at her friend before a smirk started to pull at the edges of her lips.

"...You're full of shit." At this, the writer grinned, the bright smile lighting up her features.

"Isn't that the truth?" She laughed before taking a sip from her drink. "Have you ever had this stuff? It's new on the menu. It's a cold lime tea. It's really great. I think I might have to update the drink of the month on my blog."

"Let me try!" Tea said, slipping her straw into the glass and taking a sip. Her mouth puckered as she shook her head. "Sour. Not my thing."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's good to me. How's Yugi?"

"Oh, he's adorable. He finally moved in!" Tea beamed. She'd been dating Yugi for a long time now, and they recently felt like they needed to take things to the next level. Namely, him moving into her apartment.

"Congratulations! _Finally_," Rayne teased, resting her chin on her propped up hand.

"How's... what's his name?"

"...I don't even remember his name. Nor do I care. He didn't last very long."

"...Don't you think you're being kind of hypocritical? Judging Duke the way you are, and... well, acting the way you are?" Tea mentioned, her brown eyes gazing up at her friend. Rayne looked slightly offended, as she thought for a moment.

"_Well,_ I guess you're right… except I'm not a famous actor with a reputation to ruin. I'm just a lowly writer. Nobody gives a fuck about who I am, and what I do." Rayne sounded defensive, before glancing down at her phone.

"Whatever, Rae," Tea started, rolling her eyes at the other woman. "Do you feel like hitting the bars tonight, at all? I've been busy with Yugi moving in, and you've been busy with work. I don't think we've been out. I want to go dancing!" Tea insisted, as the raven-haired woman sipped at her drink, deep in thought. She didn't feel like going out at all, but... _h__ell, why not?_


	4. the club

"So, I'll meet you at the club at 10, alright?" Tea said, standing up and collecting her things. Rayne copied Tea's actions as she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I've got to change; I just got here from work, as you may be able to tell." Rayne stated, smoothing her black pants down. "And judging by what you're wearing, I'd assume that you did too," she laughed. Tea was clad in a beige business suit with a pair of nude high heels.

"Actually, I was planning to wear this to the club." Tea said, rolling her eyes and waving her hand at Rayne. "See you later!"

Rayne held up one of her hands with a smile on her face. "Later, you."

* * *

"What to wear, what to wear, what to wear?" Rayne muttered under her breath, staring at her closet as she sat on the edge of her bed. "Mm?" She flipped through the high waisted skirts and khakis. She hadn't been to a club in a really long time, so her closet, naturally, had nothing appropriate for that sort of atmosphere. Her phone vibrated as she spotted a text from Tea. She scanned it before sighing to herself. _R, do you mind if I bring Yugi? _The text asked. Of course she minded if Tea brought Yugi. She did not to be the third wheel. Not tonight.

She tapped at the surface of her phone and responded, mentally shooting herself in the face. _Go ahead. I honestly don't mind. Just be warned that I probably won't be dancing with you as much. I'll be people watching. Work never ends. _As a gossip writer, she people watched frequently. It sounded creepy, and it kind of was, but it helped with work, and she was damned good at what she did. Her cat jumped up onto the bed next to Rayne, breaking her out of her daze.

"Oh, Shell, I don't want to go clubbing tonight. I just want to cuddle with you." Rayne whined, as her cat stared at her through large green eyes. It had a tortoise shell pattern starting right above its eyes, the distinctive colors he was named after, and white fur where the splotches of brown and black didn't occupy. She gave the cat an affectionate rub before digging through her closet again.

She pulled on a pair of tight, dark-washed jeans and a black V-neck. It was a pretty boring outfit, but it was good enough for what she needed to accomplish. She threw on a chunky silver necklace, with a bracelet to match. She stared down at her fake wedding band and debated on whether or not she wanted to wear it. She used to wear it all the time when she would frequent the clubs, keeping the creepy men at bay. She shrugged, why not, and slipped it over her ring finger.

She stared at her appearance in the mirror, unsatisfied with her slight weight gain. Her jeans stretched across her wide hips, giving her appearance a touch of roundness. On top of that, a small pimple protruded from her pale skin. A scowl tugged at her lips, as she sat down at her vanity, putting on her face. Foundation, cover up, blush. So many products in order for one to look natural, _how ironic_. She applied smoky eye makeup, and examined her reflection. It did what it had to. Standing up, and grabbing a silver clutch, she walked out of her apartment, and locked the door before driving to the club.

* * *

"Rayne, Rayne, over here!" A voice called out, cutting through the babble of the other people in line.

"Tea!" Rayne exclaimed, quickly spotting the brunette and the boy next to her. "And Yugi! Hi, you two!"

"Hey, Rayne! It's been a while." Yugi commented, smiling brightly over at her.

"Indeed, it has been. We'll all have to catch up once we get inside."

"_If_ we get inside. The line is too long!" Tea stated, a deep frown decorating her features. Rayne stood on her tip-toes and eyed the bouncer before chuckling slightly to herself.

"Leave it to me. Phil! _Phil!_" She exclaimed, waving over at the man. With a daunting caveman-esque figure, combined with his incredible height, most people found someone like Phil incredibly intimidating. He was good at what he did, although Rayne knew better.

"Rayne? It's been a while since you last came here! Damn. You got fat." The man joked, as Rayne bristled in her tight jeans. She was sensitive about that, damnit.

"And you're still working as a bouncer at this place? Talk about job advancement. I swear, if you weren't getting me in…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you and your tough shit." Phil chuckled. "Good night for you to come in. Duke Devlin's here, along with Joey Wheeler and Mai Valentine." At the sound of Duke's name, her blood froze in her veins, but she forced a smile anyways. Why was he a constant presence, lately?

"Fantastic. I'll have stuff to work off next issue. You don't mind if I bring two friends in, do you?" Rayne asked, interlacing her cold fingers together.

"Not at all. Come on in." Rayne, Yugi and Tea made their way into the club as Rayne winked over at Tea.

"Not too shabby for a 25 year old gossip writer, huh?" She asked, as Yugi and Tea laughed.

"…Didn't he say Duke was there?" Tea asked, the smile dropping off of her face as concern clouded her brown eyes. Rayne stopped smiling as well as she brushed a hand through her straight hair.

"Whatever, it's none of my business. You guys can go dance. I'm going to get a drink!" Rayne said, pretending not to hear Tea's complaints as she crept away to the bar. She hopped up on a barstool and tapped her fingernails on the surface of the smooth counter, her nervous habit.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked, giving Rayne a quick once-over. His gaze stopped at the wedding band, and looked back down at the liquors before him.

"Surprise me with the girliest, fruitiest drink you can make. I want it colorful, but classy. Don't get too crazy. I'm going to make your job awful tonight." The bartender raised an eyebrow at her. His gaze met hers, as if he was gauging her sincerity. He rolled his eyes before busying himself with the different bottles. She pulled a twenty out of her clutch and slipped it to him, a trade for the drink. The bartender gave her a questioning look, before she sipped at the drink. "For putting up with me," she explained before he nodded.

"Well, well, if it isn't Rayne Takeuchi." A voice mused to the right of her, making Rayne jump. Her gaze met familiar green ones as she felt her heart skip a beat.

"What do you want? You're ruining the mood that he and I have worked so hard to achieve," she said, pointing her index finger over at the bartender. He ignored her.

"Can I get a beer? Whatever you've got on tap," Duke said, glancing over at the man behind the counter. A mug was slid in his direction, before he focused his attention back to the girl. "Yeah, really romantic. Anyways, I want to take you out. Unless your husband wouldn't approve?" His eyebrow was raised as he caught a glance of the wedding band on her ring finger.

"It's for the creeps around here. Tea likes the music, and the fact that Yugi can 'protect' her. What is a girl like me supposed to do?" She asked, putting air quotes around the word "protect".

"As if you need anyone to protect you. Of course, I could always do that for you." He moved a little closer to her, close enough for her to get a whiff of his cologne. The scent caused a wave of nostalgia to wash over her, overwhelming her senses. She cleared her throat before shaking her head.

"In all seriousness, I don't need you or another man to protect me. I have my cat and a job that is keeping me afloat. Call me whatever you want, but I am _not_ dating you, Duke Devlin. Not now, not _ever_." Rayne's words were firm, and her silvery eyes were hard. He didn't seem shaken; in fact, he seemed to have expected those words from her. He leaned closer to her, his lips only a couple of inches from her ear.

"We did in the past. Are you sure you don't even feel a little bit guilty for cheating on me? You could make it up to me this way. I mean, the least you could let me do is let me take you out to dinner." His breath tickled her ear and sent chills down her spine as her wide eyes stared down at her drink. "Anyways, give me a call." He slipped a card underneath her sweating glass, before making his way back over to an attractive blonde. Anger surged through her veins, as she drained the class, forgoing the straw and just bringing it to her mouth.

"Tequila shots," she requested, as the bartender quickly did what she asked for. He knew better than to question an unstable woman.


End file.
